Elevator-hatch way



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

E. SPENCER.

ELEVATOR HATGHWAY.

No. 373,6 9. Patented N 22, 1887.

WITNESSES INVBNTOR I W BY JIM I ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERS Pholu-Lfllmgmpher. Washington, u. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

' E. SPENCER.

ELEVATOR HATOHWAY.

' No. 373,619. Patented Nov. 22, 1887'.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDXVIN SPENCER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR-HATCHWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,619, dated November 22, 1887 Application filed August 23, 1887. Serial No. 247,658. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN SPENCER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in elevators, and has for its object to provide a means whereby a covering for the shaft at each floor will be automatically placed by the elevator in its passage up and down the same, and wherein one set of covers will be deposited as the elevator rises, and another and independent set when the elevator descends.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate co"rresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an elevatorshaft partially broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line on a: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a similar section on line pg of Fig. 1.

In carrying out theinvention, A represents the framework of an elevator-shaft; B, the elevator; O, the hoist-ropes, and D the pulley above the shaft, over which the hoist-ropes are adapted to run, and also the rope a, carrying the counterpoise-weight d. The counterpoise-weight is made to slide in a run, d, at tached to the outer side of the shaft, the hoistropes being wound upon a drum by any desired attached power, or manipulated in any other approved manner.

Upon the top of the elevator B a series of unattached plates, E, are carried, corresponding in number to the floors of the building minus the first or basement floor, and below said elevator, independent thereof, the same number of plates E are provided, having ears 6 near each corner of two opposing sides. To each ear e of the lower plates a cable, F, is secured, adapted to extend upward through aligning recesses f, cut in the transverse beams f of the shaft at each floor, the cables of each plate passing over pulleys G, set in the said transverse beams on the respective floors, at

which the several plates E are adapted to be stationed. Each cable F is provided with a weight, g, at the end ot'sufficient heft to readily elevate the plate, which weights slide in runs H, similar to the aforesaid run (1, and also secured to the outer side of the shaft, the cables of the various plates being of such length as that when the weight reaches the bottom of the run the plate will have been deposited at the proper floor.

The plates or platforms E and E are of a contour similar to the contour of the shaft, and the ears of the lower set of plates, E, are so placed as that when the plates lie one upon the other at the bottom of the shaft they will not overlap, the ears of the plates immediately below the top one being inside the one above, the ears of the one below inside those of the second plate, and so on. Thus the cables pass up through the various recesses f without danger of interfering with each other, as the pulleys over which the cables of the several plates pass align the ears to which said cables are attached, from which it will be observed that each series of pulleys is out of alignment with the others.

Outside the recessesf, and also upon the inner face of two opposing transverse beams, f, at or near their union with the standards, rabbets h are cut downward from the top, the rabbets at the top floor being the widest, those upon the next floor narrower, the floor below narrower still, and the rabbets upon the floor above the last or basement floor being the narrowest.

Each of the upper plates, E, is provided upon two opposing sides, at or near the corners, with lips k, of alcngth equal to the width of the rabbets it they are adapted to enter, and the said plates are placed loosely upon the top of the elevator, the plate having the shortest lip being at the bottom and the one provided with the longest lip at the top.

In operation, as the elevatorrises the weights attached to the several plates E carry them up with the car. YVhen the first story is reached, the car receives the first plate or platform E upon the top, which has served to cover the hatchway, carrying it upward, and as the bottom of said car passes the line of flooring at the first story the lowermost plate E covers the hatchway at that point, the weight attached to its cable having reached the bottom of the run. At the next story the second plate E, is carried upward, and the second (now under) plate E remains fixed to cover the hatchway at that point, and so on until the upper story is reached. In coming down, the car, bearing upon the respective plates E, presses them downward out of position, carrying them one upon the other to the bottom of the shaft, meanwhile leaving one plate E at each story in its passage downward. It will be thus observed that the hatchway is covered at each story at all times, except when the car is passing through, and that the progress of the car either up or down is not interrupted in the slightest degree. Should a person of great weight over-balance the lower plates when in position, he would simply ride slowly down to the next story. 7

The attachment may be made to any elevator, and the recesses f and rabbets h may be positioned differently than shown, to suit the position of the doors in the shaft.

Thehoist-cable of thecar, the starting cable, and the balance-cables are adapted to pass through the top plates E, as illustrated.

Having thus fully described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and the car, of a series of plates or platforms beneath the car and independent thereof, adapted to close the hatchway at each story as the car ascends, provided with stepped lips, and weighted cords attached to each lip, passing over independent pulleys at each floor, and

a second series of plates carried by the car independent of the first series, adapted to cover thehatchway at each story as the ear descends, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and the car, the said shaft provided with recesses f and rabbets h at each story, of a series of plates, E, arranged beneath the car independent thereof, one plate for each story, independent cables F, attached to each plate, adapted to pass over pulleys in the elevatorshaft upon the floor to which the plate is adjusted, and weights 9, attached to said cables, and a second set of plates, E, carried by the car, provided with lips k, adapted to rest in the various rabbets h, all arranged to operate substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with an elevator-shaft and the car, the said shaft being provided with aligning recessesf, rabbets h, varying in depth at each story, and pulleys G, of a series of plates or platforms, E, arranged beneath the car independent of each other and said car, a plate for each story, independent cables F, attached to each plate, passing over pulleysG in the floor to which the special plate is adjusted, and weights g, attached to said cables, and a second set of plates, E, carried by the car, provided with lips, k of varied length, one plate E being adapted to rest in the rabbets upon each fioor, all constructed to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

EDWIN SPENCER.

Witnesses:

J. T. AOKER, J r., G. SEDGWICK. 

